Explorer Program

The RTFD, in conjunction with the Boy Scouts of America, have successfully orchestrated the Firefighting Explorer Program for more than a decade. This program introduces teenagers into the fire service to serve as “Junior Firefighters”. Although these “Junior Firefighters” cannot perform all duties of a normal firefighter, they have proven to be an invaluable asset to the RTFD for years. These young men and women learn the firefighting trade and provide essential operations on the fire ground. Many of our explorers have grown within the organization to become Line Officers, and all “Junior Firefighters” are combat ready when they turn age 18. To learn more, visit one of the firehouses to see how you can save lives!

Explorer Post 6602 Operating Guidlines

The following departmental operating guidelines have been adopted for use by the Richland Township Fire Department Explorer Post 6602. These guidelines are to be strictly adhered to by all members of the Richland Township Fire Department Explorer Post.

This department shall be known as the Richland Township Fire Department Explorer Post 6602.

ARTICLE II: RULES AND REGULATIONS

The Explorers will be directly supervised by the regular fire department line officers and a explorer post committee made up of three members and one post advisor of the regular fire department, assigned by the chief, to act as the “Explorer Leaders”.

The Explorer Post shall abide by all federal, state and departmental rules and regulations.

All members of the Explorer Post must obtain a work permit within one (1) month after joining to perform any explorer department activities. A copy of the document must then be on file at the fire station.

All explorers must complete the departments own “Probie booklet”. Th is program covers the basic knowledge that the explorers are required to understand departmental procedures, and apparatus familiarization along with a general description of the fire service.

Explorers are prohibited from riding in any open jump seat area of any apparatus at any time.

All explorers must use a seatbelt on any apparatus that they ride in

ARTICLE III: CHILD LABOR LAWS (PA Section 7.3)

14 and 15 Year Old Explorers

Explorer members under sixteen (16) are restricted by law to the following:

First Aid

Clean-up services at the scene of a fire, but outside of the structure and only after the fire has been declared under control by the fire official in charge.

Engaging in training.

Provide coffee wagon and food services.

Explorer members under sixteen (16) are prohibited by law from the following:

Operating high pressure hose lines (water, air or hydraulic), except during training.

Ascending ladders –except during training.

Explorer’s under the age of sixteen (16) are prohibited from engaging in fire company activities while school is in session and between 7 PM and 7 AM (10 PM and 7 AM during school summer vacation). Explorers under sixteen (16) may, however, attend fire fighting classes as part of a training program even after 7 PM during the school year.

16 and 17 Year Old Explorers

16 and 17 year-old firefighters who have completed a fire training course may participate in firefighting activities if they are under the direct supervision of a fire chief or an experienced line officer over 21 years of age.

Sixteen and seventeen year-old firefighters are prohibited from any of the following:

The activities of Explorer’s 16 and 17 years of age at the scene of a fire shall be limited to the following:

First Aid

Clean-up service outside of the structure after the fire has been declared by the fire official in charge, under control.

16 and 17 year olds are normally prohibited from serving as fire fighters between the hours of 12 midnight and 6 AM (1 AM and 6 AM on Friday and Saturday nights and during school term vacations, but no night restriction during summer vacations). 16 and 17 year old fire fighters who answer a fire call before the 12 or 1 AM deadline may continue to respond to that call past that deadline. Such explorers may not answer any new calls after 12 or 1 AM.

Employment Certificates

All explorers must obtain an employment certificate in order to participate as members of a volunteer fire company. Such certificates may be obtained through the explorers local school district.

High School Graduates

Individuals 17 or over who have graduated from high school are no longer considered minors under the Child Labor Law. Therefore, 17 year old explorers who are high school graduates are not subject to any of the above restrictions. This exemption also applies to those 17 year olds who have been declared by the chief school administrator to have achieved their academic potential.

HOURS OF EMPLOYMENT – AGES 14 AND 15

During School Term:

No activity while school is in session

No activity between 7 PM and 7 AM

Are permitted to attend trainings and meetings, after 7PM with written parental consent

During Summer Vacation:

Can be active from 7AM–10 PM

No activity from 10 PM–7 AM

HOURS OF EMPLOYMENT – AGES 16 AND 17

During School Term:

No calls between 12 midnight and 6 AM

No calls between 1 AM and 6 AM on weekends and school term vacations.

During Summer Vacation:

No restrictions during summer vacation

Sixteen and seventeen year olds who answer calls before the midnight and 1AM deadline may continue to serve that call past the deadline, but they may not answer any new calls that come in after the midnight or 1 AM hour, after the unit they were on has returned to the fire station and placed in service.

ARTICLE IV: DRIVING PERSONAL VEHICLES

Only 16 and 17 year old explorers that have a valid Pennsylvania driver’s license may drive personal vehicles to the fire station.

All explorers, if driving, must report to the station for all calls. If all of the apparatus has already responded when you arrive at the station, explorers are to stand-by at the station until either a senior member stops and gives them a ride to the scene, or wait until the department returns from the call to assist in clean-up duties.UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE EXPLORERS TO DRIVE DIRECTLY TO THE SCENE!

At no time is an explorer permitted to use a blue light or hazard lights (four ways) while in route to the station for a call.

All speed limits and laws are to be strictly followed while responding to the station for a call.

The fire department is in no way responsible or liable for any moving violations received while in route to the station for any reason.

Failure by any member of the explorer group to abide by these rules listed above will
result in suspension and possible expulsion from the explorer program.

ARTICLE V: RESPONDING TO CALLS ON APPARATUS

Explorers shall don full protective bunker gear before boarding any piece of fire apparatus that is responding to a call.

Explorers shall wear full protective turnout gear to all calls unless otherwise instructed by a line officer.

When riding a piece of apparatus, explorers shall position themselves in a seat with a seatbelt in place and securely fastened. On apparatus which contains a jump seat, the explorer shall take that seat if the incident does not require S.C.B.A. use. If S.C.B.A. use is required, the explorer will give up that seat to a senior firefighter for the purpose of donning the air pack, if need be.UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL AN EXPLORER STAND UP ON ANY APPARATUS WHILE RESPONDING TO CALLS!

Explorers responding to a mutual aid call into another department’s jurisdiction shall stay with our apparatus until ordered by one of our line officers on the scene.

Explorers shall at no time start, attempt to start, or move any piece of fire apparatus.

ARTICLE VI: MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

At motor vehicle accidents, 16 and 17 year old explorers may assist with traffic control operations using all safety equipment provided. Fourteen (14) and fifteen (15) year old explorers are prohibited from any traffic control duties.

Explorers who are trained as Emergency Medical Technicians can only aid a senior E.M.T. while administering treatment to a patient, and only until the responding ambulance service arrives on scene to take over patient care. At no time will an explorer E.M.T. administer treatment to a patient without being underdirect supervision of a senior E.M.T.

ARTICLE VII: BRUSH FIRES

Explorers 17 years old that have completed one of the required courses, may assist in the extinguishing of brush fires using Indian tanks, rakes, low pressure hoses (garden hose), etc. Fourteen (14), fifteen (15) and sixteen (16) year olds are prohibited from any firefighting activities.

Explorers responding to a brush fire shall wear, at a minimum, their boots, bunker pants, helmet and gloves, or the proper fire department brush fire gear.

While extinguishing a brush fire, explorers shall always stay within sight of a line officer at all times.

ARTICLE VIII: STRUCTURAL FIRES

Explorers shall assist the regular fire department by being support personnel at all structural fires. Duties will include helping change air bottles, setting up drop tanks, getting hand tools needed by senior firefighters from the apparatus, and other tasks assigned by a member of the fire department as long as it does not violate the Child Labor Laws.

Explorers shall perform their duties as ordered by the line officers without question, unless the order would put the junior in immediate danger or was a direct violation of the Child Labor Laws. In this case, the explorer should go to the fire ground incident commander for further action to take.

Explorers are not permitted at any time while on scene of a fire to operate any hose line (other than a garden hose) neither during the initial attack nor after the fire is knocked down.

Explorers shall not operate any power equipment of any kind.

At no time will any explorer enter the involved structure, even after the fire officer in charge has deemed the fire under control.

Explorers shall assist with clean-up following any call, unless excused by the officer in charge. Clean up includes re-packing hose lines, washing the apparatus, cleaning the S.C.B.A., and any other duties assigned by any line officer.

ARTICLE IX: TRAINING

Explorers shall attend as many as training sessions, meetings and social events (fundraisers) as they can, taking into consideration and keeping in mind that school takes precedence over all fire department activities.

Explorer members shall attend the weekly training sessions of the regular fire department.

Explorers are permitted to operate live hose lines and ascend ladders during trainings, as long as it is under the direct supervision of a line officer or senior member over the age of twenty-one (21).

THE EXPLORER GROUP MEMBERS ARE HERE TO ASSIST THE REGULAR FIRE DEPARTMENT AT ALL SCENES TO PROTECT THE LIVES AND PROPERTY OF ALL THE PEOPLE LIVING IN AND PASSING THROUGH THE RICHLAND TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT’S JURISDICTION.

HOURS OF EMPLOYMENT–AGES 14 AND 15

During School Term:

Maximum of:

Only at times that do not interfere with school attendance

18 Hours per school week (Monday thru Friday)

4 hours on school days

Plus 8 hours total for Saturday and Sunday

8 hours on any other day (school term vacations)

During Summer Vacation:

Maximum of:

44 hours per week

8 hours per day

Night Work:

Prohibited after 7 PM and before 7 AM.

Exception: Summer vacation prohibited after 10 PM

HOURS OF EMPLOYMENT –AGES 16 AND 17

During School Term:

Maximum of:

28 Hours per school week (Monday thru Friday)

8 hours on Saturday

8 hours on Sunday

Maximum daily hours cannot exceed 8 hours per day.

During Summer Vacation:

Maximum of:

44 hours per week

8 hours per day

Night Work:

During School Term:

May not work after midnight (Sunday thru Thursday)

May not work before 6 AM the entire week

May work Friday night until 1AM Saturday morning

May work Saturday night until 1 AM Sunday morning

During Summer Vacation:

No night work limitations

AT ANY TIME: MAXIMUM EMPLOYMENT 6 DAYS PER WEEK, 30 MINUTE MEAL PERIODS REQUIRED ON OR BEFORE 5 CONSECUTIVE HOURS OF WORK.

RTFD Report Card Policy for Explorers

The intent of the report card policy is to insure that the fire department is not responsible for junior and senior high school students failing in their academic studies. This policy applies to all students in school no matter of their age.

The fire department explorer advisor will submit a list of all school students that belong to RTFD at the beginning of the school year.

The RTFD Advisor will receive a list from the school district of tentative dates that report cards will be issued.

The student will submit their report card to the RTFD Advisor within 48 hours after being issued.

If the RTFD Advisor does not see the report card within 48 hours, an immediate suspension will take place (unless special situations warrant delay).

After submitting the report card to the RTFD Advisor, the following procedures will take place:

For any failing grades, an automatic 14-day suspension will take place.

Before the 14-day suspension is over, the RTFD Advisor will contact the school counselor and see if the failing grades have improved.

If the school counselor reports that the grades have improved, the students suspension will be revoked. But if the student is still failing, the suspension will remain into effect, an additional 14 days.

Any member that is in school must be off the station premises by 2200 hours on school nights, unless involved with training.